Florida Pedestrian Safety Problems Solutions

1. Florida Pedestrian Safety Problems & Solutions An Overview

2. Florida Pedestrian Problems Fatalities-high number & rate (2004): 2nd to California in number (493 fatalities) 2nd to New Mexico in rate (2.83 fat per 100K pop) 15.2% of Florida’s traffic fatalities (10.9% in US) 10.6% of all ped fatalities in the US Most of Florida built post-WWII Sprawl More traffic Faster traffic As you may know, Florida has some of the worst pedestrian problems in the United States, only second to California in number. We have bout 10% percent of all pedestrian fatalities in the United States and the major reasons are most of Florida was build after World War II, resulting in more sprawl, more traffic, and faster traffic, and therefore, people who are out there on foot and on bicycles are at a disadvantage.As you may know, Florida has some of the worst pedestrian problems in the United States, only second to California in number. We have bout 10% percent of all pedestrian fatalities in the United States and the major reasons are most of Florida was build after World War II, resulting in more sprawl, more traffic, and faster traffic, and therefore, people who are out there on foot and on bicycles are at a disadvantage.

3. Florida Pedestrian Solutions 3E Approach: Education Enforcement Engineering & Planning Funding: Regular FDOT $ Traffic Safety Grant $ Strategic Highway Safety Plan $ That’s why we take a comprehensive approach to try to solve our pedestrian problems. We use regular DOT funding, traffic safety grant funding, and strategic highway safety plan funding.That’s why we take a comprehensive approach to try to solve our pedestrian problems. We use regular DOT funding, traffic safety grant funding, and strategic highway safety plan funding.

4. Florida Pedestrian SolutionsRegular FDOT $ Education Traffic Safety Education Program Florida School Crossing Guard Program (only statewide program) With our regular DOT funding, we have two long term transportation programs: the Traffic Safety Education Program, where school teachers are trained to teach bicycle and pedestrian skills in physical education class; and in the Florida School Crossing Guard Program, similarly, the crossing guard trainers are trained using the statewide curriculum and they go back to their local areas and train the actual guards. To this date we are the only statewide crossing guard program. With our regular DOT funding, we have two long term transportation programs: the Traffic Safety Education Program, where school teachers are trained to teach bicycle and pedestrian skills in physical education class; and in the Florida School Crossing Guard Program, similarly, the crossing guard trainers are trained using the statewide curriculum and they go back to their local areas and train the actual guards. To this date we are the only statewide crossing guard program.

5. Florida Pedestrian SolutionsRegular FDOT $ Engineering & Planning Design Standards Including Ped accommodations in applicable projects District Bike/Ped Coordinators in all 7 Districts Benchmarks: Bike Facilities Study just finished Ped Facilities Study to follow Under engineering and planning with regular DOT funds, we have real good design standards which require including pedestrian accommodations in all applicable projects. We have a bike/ped coordinator in all seven Districts. Unfortunately they’re not all 100% so there’s room for improvement there. And also because we’re highly decentralized, the design standards are interpreted a little bit differently in each districts, unfortunately. So there is a need for more training. We’re going to be doing that through the training that Charlie Zegeer’s project is going to be offering, and DOT is going to match that so we can get more funding. Just this year we finished a bicycle facilities study, which found out that 63% of the state highway systems have on-road bicycle facilities. Now we know where the gaps are, and we can start working on filling in the gaps. We’re about to do the same thing for pedestrian facilities study, and that will give us some very good informationUnder engineering and planning with regular DOT funds, we have real good design standards which require including pedestrian accommodations in all applicable projects. We have a bike/ped coordinator in all seven Districts. Unfortunately they’re not all 100% so there’s room for improvement there. And also because we’re highly decentralized, the design standards are interpreted a little bit differently in each districts, unfortunately. So there is a need for more training. We’re going to be doing that through the training that Charlie Zegeer’s project is going to be offering, and DOT is going to match that so we can get more funding. Just this year we finished a bicycle facilities study, which found out that 63% of the state highway systems have on-road bicycle facilities. Now we know where the gaps are, and we can start working on filling in the gaps. We’re about to do the same thing for pedestrian facilities study, and that will give us some very good information

6. Florida Pedestrian Solutions Traffic Safety Grants Now I’ll go through the traffic safety grants, which are 402, which have been mentioned before and 163, the special category funds that we’re in the last tier of now. Traffic safety grants can fund education, enforcement, and planning types of activities, but not engineering. Now I’ll go through the traffic safety grants, which are 402, which have been mentioned before and 163, the special category funds that we’re in the last tier of now. Traffic safety grants can fund education, enforcement, and planning types of activities, but not engineering.

7. Growth of Ped/Bike Grants in FL 402: $200,000 in FY ‘93, $1,225,000 in FY ‘05 (613% increase) 163: $500,000 in FY ’99-’06 402 + 163= $1,725,000, (853% increase since 1993) Before I took over this program, we only spent about $200,000 in 402 funds. For Wisconsin that’s a lot, but for Florida, with our big population and our big problems, it was not a lot. It comes to about 2% of the 402 funds we got. We have been able to argue for a higher increase in the proportion of traffic safety grant funds so now, between the 402 and the 163, over $1.7 million going toward traffic safety grants this year. We now get 15% of 402 and 163 funds. Before I took over this program, we only spent about $200,000 in 402 funds. For Wisconsin that’s a lot, but for Florida, with our big population and our big problems, it was not a lot. It comes to about 2% of the 402 funds we got. We have been able to argue for a higher increase in the proportion of traffic safety grant funds so now, between the 402 and the 163, over $1.7 million going toward traffic safety grants this year. We now get 15% of 402 and 163 funds.

8. Education Grants FL Bicycle Association: Pro-Bike/Pro-Walk FL Ped. Law Enf Guide Senior Activity Video Local Traffic Safety Education Programs: 4 Co. funded in 2005 Under education grants, we’ve been funding the Florida Bicycle Association. Last year they put on our first ever Pro-Bike/Pro-Walk Florida conference, which was very successful. It was overwhelmingly requested that it become an annual project, so they’re working on next year’s conference already. This coming year they’re going to be putting together the pedestrian law enforcement guide, which is the companion to the bicycle law enforcement guide, which has been very popular, not only with law enforcement, but with bicyclists so that if they are stopped and told something that they know is not the law, they can easily show what the law really is. And the pedestrian part of it is something that was wanted for several years, I’m very pleased about that. Also they just finished the senior activity video, which has bicycling and walking for seniors and why it’s important to stay active and how to do so safely. Each year we have local traffic safety grants where we provide equipment and safety personnel to the program on a local level. Under education grants, we’ve been funding the Florida Bicycle Association. Last year they put on our first ever Pro-Bike/Pro-Walk Florida conference, which was very successful. It was overwhelmingly requested that it become an annual project, so they’re working on next year’s conference already. This coming year they’re going to be putting together the pedestrian law enforcement guide, which is the companion to the bicycle law enforcement guide, which has been very popular, not only with law enforcement, but with bicyclists so that if they are stopped and told something that they know is not the law, they can easily show what the law really is. And the pedestrian part of it is something that was wanted for several years, I’m very pleased about that. Also they just finished the senior activity video, which has bicycling and walking for seniors and why it’s important to stay active and how to do so safely. Each year we have local traffic safety grants where we provide equipment and safety personnel to the program on a local level.

9. Education Grants (PI&E) Share the Road Tag created in 1999 Statewide Share the Road Campaign Almost $450 K raised so far; $335 K for Bike/Ped Projects (mostly Bike) So. FL PI&E Campaign this yr; statewide next yr Public information and education grants: we haven’t done a whole lot of these, but in 1999 we created the “Share the Road” tag under one of my grants and there’s a state-wide Share the Road campaign along with that with billboards and brochures, PSAs. From the sale of the tag, the administration costs are taken off the top and then the balance is split between Florida Bike Association and Bike Florida. Most of the projects have gone towards bicycling projects, but pedestrian projects are also helped. We’ve raised over $335,000 from that source. I have a flyer on that, which I think is in the back. The revenue that is raised each year has gone up, so we’re very pleased it’s been very successful. This year we’re going to be starting the South Florida Public Information and Education Campaign for three of our high-crash counties: Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade, and we’re hoping is to expand that next year to a new project. Public information and education grants: we haven’t done a whole lot of these, but in 1999 we created the “Share the Road” tag under one of my grants and there’s a state-wide Share the Road campaign along with that with billboards and brochures, PSAs. From the sale of the tag, the administration costs are taken off the top and then the balance is split between Florida Bike Association and Bike Florida. Most of the projects have gone towards bicycling projects, but pedestrian projects are also helped. We’ve raised over $335,000 from that source. I have a flyer on that, which I think is in the back. The revenue that is raised each year has gone up, so we’re very pleased it’s been very successful. This year we’re going to be starting the South Florida Public Information and Education Campaign for three of our high-crash counties: Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade, and we’re hoping is to expand that next year to a new project.

10. Education & Enforcement Grants Statewide: Ped/Bike Law Enforcement Courses taught thru T-Square Local Education & Enforcement Grants: Two Counties in 2005 We’ve also been doing the bicycle and pedestrian law enforcement courses taught through our T-Square Center for about five or six years. When it started out it was a very new thing and the law enforcement officers weren’t sure why they were there but they really did enjoy it and now they’re asking for it, which is a big step forward. We have so many law enforcement agencies in Florida, we still have a long way to go with this and we’re trying to combine this course with what Florida Bicycle Association has been doing with their bicycle law enforcement video to come up with a complete curriculum that can be taught in different segments: one hour, two hour, four hour; one day, two day, so there’s different options depending on what the time available is. Additionally, we have several grants to local law enforcement agencies to do education and enforcement.We’ve also been doing the bicycle and pedestrian law enforcement courses taught through our T-Square Center for about five or six years. When it started out it was a very new thing and the law enforcement officers weren’t sure why they were there but they really did enjoy it and now they’re asking for it, which is a big step forward. We have so many law enforcement agencies in Florida, we still have a long way to go with this and we’re trying to combine this course with what Florida Bicycle Association has been doing with their bicycle law enforcement video to come up with a complete curriculum that can be taught in different segments: one hour, two hour, four hour; one day, two day, so there’s different options depending on what the time available is. Additionally, we have several grants to local law enforcement agencies to do education and enforcement.

11. Planning Grants FSU Projects: Statewide BPAC Livable Communities Training Safe Ways to School Task Force Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Plan Under planning grants, FSU, Harrison Higgins, who’s here at the conference, is heading that up. Just last year we started our first statewide Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee. We’re doing livable communities training courses around the state with Dan Burden and Billy Hattaway (sp?) who used to be the head of our roadway design section. We have a Safe Ways to School task force, and FSU is working on the Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Plan for us. So that’s a very big project. Under planning grants, FSU, Harrison Higgins, who’s here at the conference, is heading that up. Just last year we started our first statewide Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee. We’re doing livable communities training courses around the state with Dan Burden and Billy Hattaway (sp?) who used to be the head of our roadway design section. We have a Safe Ways to School task force, and FSU is working on the Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Plan for us. So that’s a very big project.

12. Planning Grants, cont. UF: GIS Programs Courses on GIS Crash Mapping Ped/ Bike Toolkit Analyze crashes Develop better countermeasures Also, GIS, they were talking about, University of Florida has been helping us out with this for about six years. The T-Square center is providing courses on GIS crash mapping, and that’s been very well received. Also, a different section of University of Florida has been working on developing our Bike/Ped Toolkit; I have one sample here, next to the graph. They’re going to continue to refine this over the next year. It’s designed to help people, once they get the crash information, to have some standard queries that inquiring minds want to know: the things that most people want to know once they get the crashes mapped. And of course the reason for doing the GIS crash mapping is that it helps in analyzing crashes much better than just a pin map.Also, GIS, they were talking about, University of Florida has been helping us out with this for about six years. The T-Square center is providing courses on GIS crash mapping, and that’s been very well received. Also, a different section of University of Florida has been working on developing our Bike/Ped Toolkit; I have one sample here, next to the graph. They’re going to continue to refine this over the next year. It’s designed to help people, once they get the crash information, to have some standard queries that inquiring minds want to know: the things that most people want to know once they get the crashes mapped. And of course the reason for doing the GIS crash mapping is that it helps in analyzing crashes much better than just a pin map.

13. Planning Grants, cont. Connecting People & Resources: Asst. Pedestrian/ Bicycle Coordinator Pedestrian Safety Resource Center Two other planning grants fund our assistant bike/ped coordinator, that’s actually not one of my grants, but it is a traffic safety grant. Another one of my grants funds the Pedestrian Safety Resource Center at Florida Atlantic University and that is being expanded to a Ped and Bike Resource Center; it’s one of the few grants that started out just ped and has gone toward bikes.Two other planning grants fund our assistant bike/ped coordinator, that’s actually not one of my grants, but it is a traffic safety grant. Another one of my grants funds the Pedestrian Safety Resource Center at Florida Atlantic University and that is being expanded to a Ped and Bike Resource Center; it’s one of the few grants that started out just ped and has gone toward bikes.

14. Statewide Planning Grants Phone survey on bike/ped facilities: 69% would like to live where more daily needs could be met by walking 69% felt govt. should spend more $ on ped facilities 93% felt ped facilities add value to their community 19% of urban bike lanes are designated (facilities study) but 92-96% of residents think they should be. We just finished a survey on bicycle and pedestrian facilities. We had some interesting findings. This last point is on the bicycle side of it. The facilities study found that only 19% of urban bike lanes are designated, but the phone survey found that 92 to 96% of residents feel that they should be. So that gives us some ammunition to say if we’re doing what the residents want us to do, we’re going to be designating more of these bike facilities. So we’re hoping to have some similar results once we get the pedestrian part done. We just finished a survey on bicycle and pedestrian facilities. We had some interesting findings. This last point is on the bicycle side of it. The facilities study found that only 19% of urban bike lanes are designated, but the phone survey found that 92 to 96% of residents feel that they should be. So that gives us some ammunition to say if we’re doing what the residents want us to do, we’re going to be designating more of these bike facilities. So we’re hoping to have some similar results once we get the pedestrian part done.

15. Local Planning Grants Local bike/ped grants have been funding local bike and pedestrian coordinators. This has been one of the best pieces of my funds because as you know, most of the, or a lot of the actual planning has to be done at the local level. 402 grants are supposed to be start-up grants to provide funding for up to three years and then continue. All of the bike/ped coordinators that I have funded are continuing; that’s been true with all of them, it’s been really successful. Two of the other local planning grants are: one in the Tampa area, to study a corridor, and one in the Daytona Beach area, to look at ten elementary schools. Both take a look at the bicycle and pedestrian problems and come up with counter-measures. Local bike/ped grants have been funding local bike and pedestrian coordinators. This has been one of the best pieces of my funds because as you know, most of the, or a lot of the actual planning has to be done at the local level. 402 grants are supposed to be start-up grants to provide funding for up to three years and then continue. All of the bike/ped coordinators that I have funded are continuing; that’s been true with all of them, it’s been really successful. Two of the other local planning grants are: one in the Tampa area, to study a corridor, and one in the Daytona Beach area, to look at ten elementary schools. Both take a look at the bicycle and pedestrian problems and come up with counter-measures.

16. Florida Strategic Highway Safety Plan What more can be done to reduce traffic fatalities & serious injuries? 2-day brainstorming meeting of 40 FDOT staff Adopted February 2003 Largely up to Districts Facilitated by Central Office The Strategic Highway Safety Plan came out of the question, “We’re doing a lot, but what more can we do to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries?” There was a two-day brainstorming meeting of Florida DOT staff, and a few other people. It was adopted in 2003. The implementation is largely up to the Districts, but they do get helped by the Central Office.The Strategic Highway Safety Plan came out of the question, “We’re doing a lot, but what more can we do to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries?” There was a two-day brainstorming meeting of Florida DOT staff, and a few other people. It was adopted in 2003. The implementation is largely up to the Districts, but they do get helped by the Central Office.

17. Florida Strategic Highway Safety Plan Keep Vehicles in Proper Travel Lane Improve Safety of Intersections Intersection safety education program Install Ped signal Educational plaques Improve Access Management Improve Information and Decision Support Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Identify high ped/bike crash corridors & develop 3E countermeasures Identify ped/bike facility gaps & develop projects Implement a comprehensive ped/bike traffic ed program in at least 3 new schools/year These are the main focus areas and the two that are highlighted have some pedestrian implications: the intersection education program and ped signal plaques and bike and ped safety, identifying the high bike/ped crash corridors and developing 3E countermeasures, identifying gaps and developing projects where bike gaps are and we’ll soon know where the pedestrian gaps are, and implementing a comprehensive bike/ped traffic education program in at least three new schools per year and that last point is relying on my traffic safety funding to do that. These are the main focus areas and the two that are highlighted have some pedestrian implications: the intersection education program and ped signal plaques and bike and ped safety, identifying the high bike/ped crash corridors and developing 3E countermeasures, identifying gaps and developing projects where bike gaps are and we’ll soon know where the pedestrian gaps are, and implementing a comprehensive bike/ped traffic education program in at least three new schools per year and that last point is relying on my traffic safety funding to do that.

18. Florida Strategic Highway Safety Plan $ $5 Million per District ($35 Million per year statewide) for two years; none for ’06 With 3 of the 7 Districts reporting: 4 sidewalk project done (3.5 mi) & 6 more planned (8 mi) 3 lighting projects done (14 mi) & 9 more planned (35 mi) 8 ped signal or other ped intersection improvements planned 1 Dist: ped countdown signals on all State Roads 1 Dist: red light enforcement lights on all SR’s The first two years of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, there was $5 million given to each district to implement the plan. Because they got backed up and they weren’t getting all of this funding plus their regular safety funding, there’s no new funding for this year, but I’m hoping to be caught up by this year and we’ll be back to having some dedicated funding starting next year. With three of the seven districts reporting back to me, I found out that there are four sidewalk projects that are already done and more planned. Three lighting projects are done and nine more are planned. Eight pedestrian signals or other pedestrian intersection improvements are planned. One district is planning to put pedestrian countdown signals on all their state roads, and one district is planning to put red light enforcement lights on all their state roads. Now that’s not the cameras, that’s the little white lights on the other side from the red light so that a law enforcement officer can tell exactly when the light changes; they don’t have to be right behind the person in order to enforce the law. So as you can see, Florida has a lot of problems, but we’re taking one of the most aggressive approaches to try to solve our pedestrian safety problems and we’re always looking for new ways, more efficient ways to come up with solutions. This is where we are and we’re open to more suggestions at any time. The first two years of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, there was $5 million given to each district to implement the plan. Because they got backed up and they weren’t getting all of this funding plus their regular safety funding, there’s no new funding for this year, but I’m hoping to be caught up by this year and we’ll be back to having some dedicated funding starting next year. With three of the seven districts reporting back to me, I found out that there are four sidewalk projects that are already done and more planned. Three lighting projects are done and nine more are planned. Eight pedestrian signals or other pedestrian intersection improvements are planned. One district is planning to put pedestrian countdown signals on all their state roads, and one district is planning to put red light enforcement lights on all their state roads. Now that’s not the cameras, that’s the little white lights on the other side from the red light so that a law enforcement officer can tell exactly when the light changes; they don’t have to be right behind the person in order to enforce the law. So as you can see, Florida has a lot of problems, but we’re taking one of the most aggressive approaches to try to solve our pedestrian safety problems and we’re always looking for new ways, more efficient ways to come up with solutions. This is where we are and we’re open to more suggestions at any time.

19. For Additional Information Pat Pieratte Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Specialist 850-245-1529 Pat.pieratte@dot.state.fl.us www.dot.state.fl.us/safety